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Jay McShann
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Jay McShann, in full James Columbus McShann, was an American jazz pianist, singer, composer and bandleader. He was born on 12 January 1916 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was nicknamed Hootie. As a boy he taught himself to play the piano, by watching his sister's lessons and by playing melodies he heard on the radio. He was strongly influenced by the late-night broadcasts of the pianist Earl Hines from the Grand Terrace Cafe in Chicago. Of that time he said: when Fatha Hines went off the radio, I went to bed.
Music and breakthrough
In 1936 he moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and formed his own big band there. Those who played in it included Charlie Parker from 1937 to 1942, Al Hibbler, Ben Webster, Paul Quinichette, Bernard Anderson, Gene Ramey and Jimmy Witherspoon. His first recordings were all with Parker. The band played swing and blues, but most of the records were blues. The best-known recording was Confessin' the Blues, with vocals by Walter Brown. In 1944 McShann was drafted into the army and the band broke up. When he came back two years later, small groups had taken the place of the big bands.
Influence
After the war he led small groups with the blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon, who recorded with him from 1945 and had a hit in 1949 with Ain't Nobody's Business. In 2003 McShann said that players from Kansas City were recognised everywhere, on the coast and in the north and south. He showed what the Kansas City style was, a mixture of swing and blues, and that Charlie Parker took his first steps in such a band. He died on 7 December 2006.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1957Goin' to Kansas City Blues
- 1967McShann's Piano
- 1973The Man From Muskogee
- 1976Kansas City Joys
- 1977Crazy Legs & Friday Strut
- 1977Hot Biscuits
- 1978Kansas City Hustle
- 1978The Last of the Blue Devils
- 1979The Big Apple Bash
- 1980The Last of the Whorehouse Piano Players (Two Pianos Vol. 1)
- 1980Tuxedo Junction
- 1981I Giganti Del Jazz Vol. 63
- 1981I Giganti Del Jazz, Vol. 59
- 1981Saturday Night Function
- 1982Piano Giants vol. 2
- 1983Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere!
- 1983Blowin' In From K.C.
- 1983Just a Lucky So and So
- 1989Last of the Whorehouse Piano Players
- 1990Swingmatism
- 1991Blue Pianos
- 1991Paris All-Star Blues
- 1993Jim & Jay's Christmas
- 1993Some Blues
- 1993The Missouri Connection
- 1993Vine Street Boogie
- 1996Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz: With Guest Jay McShann
- 1997Hootie's Jumpin' Blues
- 1997Jazz & Blues on Marians' Records
- 1999Still Jumpin' the Blues: With Duke Robillard and Maria Muldaur
- 1999What a Wonderful World
- 2003Goin' to Kansas City
- 2023After Hours
- ?Jimmy Witherspoon & Jay McShann
- ?Kansas City Blues
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- After Hours: Session 2NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Kansas City jazz Genre
Andy Kirk with Mary Lou Williams, Jay McShann with the young Charlie Parker, and the singer Big Joe Turner with the pianist Pete Johnson also came out of this scene.